The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-10-22
LAMENT OF THE OUACHITA,
BY \. A. GCSEY.

stood where softly, smoothly glide
Tho currents Of d silver tide.
Between it's shoals so wide outspread
The stream seemed like a silver thread
While all along its bars and bapks
Stood out in wild and CHASTITY ranks.
Along this gorge where once saw
The bold and beauteous Ouachita
In majesty and vigor flowing
On to the boundless, restless sea,
While on its banks in gladness growing
Was many a lovely flower and tree;
The stream that once was strong and fair,
Now scattered like dishevelled hair,
So bouyant once and now SO lean,
It shrinks f. ON view as if ashamed
Its wret chedness should Ger be seen
BY one to whom it's beauties famed
For, shrank to naught to skin and bone,
It totters like a skeleton.
And all around so sad and serc,
could not help but shed a tear,
And overhead each pittying star
Was weeping for dear Ouachita!
fingered by it's desert shoro
Till all my heart was sad and sore;
When from its nurmurs, dim and faint,
I heard this song of grieved complaint:
"My mission through ages ever has boon
To moisten the earth for uso Of men,
And the valley my waves have ceaslcssly
built
Is composed of rich and wealth-siving silt,
And all through that valley chcerfully
flow,
| Bringing bounty and vc:dure as onward I
go.
While proud on my bosom rich ravies ride
And plenty and peace sit down by my side
| All blessings and comforts at my command
I generously pour throughout tho broad
land
But alas how sadly my blessings are paid
| BY mon, erring men for whom WAS made
With their gulIies, and bitches, and wrecks,
and snass,
They have made mo worse than Il beggar
i'll rags!
My waves arc ob.truc.ed by bridges and
piers
And my pitoous pleading no body hears,
Till currents, perverted from bars and
shoals
And commerce no longer trunphantly
rolls.
Other streams have rich and powerful
friends
To deepen their channels and straighten
their bends.
BY science and art thoi1 paths are explored,
While 1, only 1, am sadly ignored
Though famished and choked, I bitterly
sigh
For tho crumbs that are thrown to each
passer-by.
Alas! have none to befriend mo at court
Must languish forever, to i'll winds sport
While factions around me contend and
parade
Each faction proclaiming it's personal cause
to
laws,
Each faction tightly holding its great lead
er's hem
Who at best is only en- bon t,oisicmc!
While onward, neglected, poor Ouachita
flows
With no one to pity my multiplied woes!
o sad and relentless must ago DO my fate
If such be the heroes to rule our dear State,
Who pilo up their benefits elsewhere en-
8e0SSc
| But leave my keen wants in silence TO pass
But moro than all it giveth me pain
That surplus treasure should idle remain
| In mountainous heaps in national safes,
Whilo am distressed with so many griefs
| If my services true the nation should claim
Each wave would respond in Ouachita's
name:
| 'The streams Of the country arc truly hel
| guard,
| And we float her flag, without any reward
Yet millions of dollars in the treasury rust
While my sides are lanll, my mouth filled
| with dust
In furnished want, droop and pine,
While Congressman sit enjoying their wine
And my gran highway desert is made
! While they loud harangue on whisky and
free trade!
| And onward, neglected, poor Ouachita flows
| With no ono to pity my multiplied woes"
| Monroe, La, Oct. 20. 1857.